


A Fresh Start

by katie_049



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Past Ellie/Jake, Season 14 AU, Season 14 Rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2020-05-20 03:53:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19369288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049
Summary: “I need to talk to you, Gibbs,” she started, looking down at the sanding paper in her hands.Gibbs stopped mid-movement, turning over his shoulder. “I figured that much, Bishop.”She nodded, playing with the edge of the sanding paper, trying to find the right words. Voicing it, would make it real.“Bishop, out with it,” Gibbs ordered her, pulling her out of her thoughts. He turned fully around to her, leaning against his boat.“I’m pregnant.”





	1. Season 13 AU

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!  
> I've had this idea for quite some time and I finally started it. I've only written the first two chapters, but I know where it's supossed to go. I probably won't rewrite every episode that would be a lot, but all the ones that focus on Nick and Ellie. If anyone has requests for a specific episode, just let me know! You can also find me on tumblr (ellieandnick). 
> 
> Thanks to my beta reader shortystarrose.

Walking down the stairs to the dimly lit basement just like a few weeks ago, Ellie took a deep breath. Her footsteps echoed through the small room, being the only other noise to the sound of Gibbs sanding the wood of his boat. With each step she took, she slowed her pace until she came to a stop at the last step. Grabbing the railing, she looked down onto her black adidas sneakers, working up the courage for the upcoming conversation.

“Are you going to keep standing there?” Gibbs voice filled the basement.

She shifted her gaze from her shoes to her boss who was still sanding his boat. Puffing out some air, Ellie took the last step down into the basement, crossing her arms behind her back. A few weeks ago, she had been down here, still believing in Jake and now she was living in her own apartment, hoping to cut him out of her life. Something that seemed impossible now.

“Here, I trust you know what to do with this.” Gibbs threw her a piece of sanding paper, before continuing his own work.

Ellie caught it easily, her thumb rubbing over the rough material, scratching her skin. The gentle burn was a welcome touch, helping her to focus her thoughts, grounding her. Turning the piece of sanding paper around in her hands, she slowly walked over to the work bench, leaning her back against it.

“I need to talk to you, Gibbs,” she started, looking down at the sanding paper in her hands.

Gibbs stopped mid-movement, turning over his shoulder. “I figured that much, Bishop.”

She nodded, playing with the edge of the sanding paper, trying to find the right words. Voicing it, would make it real. She had been keeping this little secret to herself for two days and she still wasn’t sure how to tell everyone. _If_ she wanted to tell everyone. Logically, she knew she couldn’t keep it a secret for much longer, but her mind was still running a mile a minute.

“Bishop, out with it,” Gibbs ordered her, pulling her out of her thoughts. He turned fully around to her, leaning against his boat.

“I’m pregnant.”

Her free hand went up to her neck, playing with her golden necklace. Her mother had given it to her, before she moved to DC years ago. Wearing it reminded her of home and most of the time it helped her calm down in times of worry. Right now, it kept her from shifting from one to the other as silence filled the basement. It was deafening and a knot formed in her throat, getting bigger with each passing second.

Feeling Gibbs stare on her, she averted her gaze, crossing her arms in front of her. His silence made her more nervous than she would have thought. To be honest, she tried to predict his reaction to her news, but she realized quickly that Gibbs was unpredictable.

“Have you talked to Jake yet?” Gibbs finally asked in his usually monotone voice.

Ellie shook her head, puffing out some air. “No, and it’s not something I’m looking forward too.”

The thought of talking to Jake terrified her. His betrayal still ran deep and that alone would be weighing down on her for the next few months but raising a child with him would make it impossible to cut him out of her life.

“When are you planning to tell him?” Her boss continued and his questions honestly confused her. All this talk about Jake was not something she expected.

“I don’t know, Gibbs. I haven’t thought about it yet.” She uncrossed her arms, slightly turning around as she put the sanding paper down on the bench behind her.

“You shouldn’t wait too long. It’s not going to get easier.”

Now he was just stating the obvious and she felt a mix of helplessness and anger rise up in her. She quickly swallowed down the lump in her throat. This wasn’t the time for anger. Instead she averted her gaze to the ground, studying the sawdust under the boat. “How am I supposed to do that Gibbs? How am I supposed to raise a child in my line of work? I don’t think I’m ready to stop being an agent.”

“We’ll take it one day at a time,” he simply stated, grabbing a nearby towel and dusting his hands off. “As long as you’re pregnant, I have to pull you from the field and after the baby’s born, we’ll reevaluated.”

She blinked back a few tears that threatened to escape her eyes. Her mood changed so fast these days. It was hard to keep up. Taking a deep breath, she blew out her cheeks, before releasing the air again. “I’m scared, Gibbs.”

He chuckled. “I’d be surprised, if you weren’t. Come over here.” He spread out his arms and Ellie crossed the distance between them, throwing herself into his embrace.

As his arms wrapped around her, she felt the tension leave her body. His familiar scent of sawdust reached her nostrils and breathing immediately seemed easier again. She felt safe with him and it felt good to finally share her secret.

“You’re not alone, Bishop. You have your family in Oklahoma and your family in DC. We’ll all be there for you,” he promised her, pressing a kiss to her head.

“Thank you, Gibbs,” she mumbled still wrapped in his embrace, her face hidden in his red sweater. The world was looking a little brighter, knowing her boss would support her. Now, she only needed to tell about ten more people, but at least she was able to cross one of her lists.

 

\------

 

Turns out telling Jake would happen sooner than later. The morning after telling Gibbs, she gathered the team together, telling them the news. After a few seconds of silence, Abby was the first to squeal with joy. The goth enveloped her in a tight hug and Ellie felt relieved once again. Ducky and Jimmy had hugged her next, congratulating her and telling her that she was about to enter one of the most exciting times of her life. Tim and Tony were both a little more shocked and they shared a look before Tony asked about Jake. The mention of him tainted the happy atmosphere and everybody looked at her again with questioning eyes. She couldn’t blame her friends, they only wanted what’s best for her and if she learned anything in the last few years, everybody on the team Gibbs was extremely protective of their own. It also showed her that she couldn’t wait any longer to tell Jake.

A few hours later, she was sitting on a bench near the waterfront, waiting for her husband, well ex-husband, even if it wasn’t official yet. She sipped on her green tea, because drinking coffee was going to be over for the next few months. At least that was what her book about pregnancy said. She had gotten herself one right after finding out about the baby and she learned quickly that there were a lot of things she had to pay attention too now.

“Ellie,” she heard Jake’s voice from a few feet away and she turned her head towards him. He was wearing his usual beige coat, two cups of coffee in his hands and his lips twitched into a smile. A shudder ran through her body and she took a deep breath, straightening in her seat.

“I brought you coffee,” he greeted her, holding one of the cups out to her. “Just like you like it. Lots of milk and sugar.” He was still smiling at her, but it felt forced by now.

She had no desire to return his smile, so she just held up her own cup. “I already got something.”

He pursed his lips, his smile finally slipping from his lips as he sat down next to her, putting the second cup down beside him. “I was surprised you texted me. Especially after the last conversation we had.”

She ignored his words, not ready to deal with their last conversation again. She didn’t need to be reminded of his betrayal over and over again. Maybe she should just get it over with. It was probably easier not to beat around the bush. “I’ve got some news. I’m pregnant.” She glanced over to him, just in time to see his eyes widening at her words. He opened his mouth a few times, trying to formulate words, but nothing came out. “I’m not expecting anything from you, but this is your child too and you deserve to know,” she continued, taking another sip from her green tea. “I’m fourteen weeks along, so the baby should be born in late June.”

After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Jake finally started to talk again, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why haven’t you noticed it earlier?”

“We both know my period is a mess and nothing has really changed in the last few weeks. I always had a healthy appetite and with all the stress lately, I haven’t been sleeping much. A few days ago, I had my annual appointment with my gynecologist, and he told me the news.” She shrugged, shaking her head softly, her eyebrows lifted. “I was pretty surprised too.”

“Phew, I don’t know what to say,” Jake answered, leaning back against the bench. “Not something I would have expected to be honest.”

“Well, me neither,” she said, scratching over the label of her cup. She felt Jake’s gaze on her, and it made her shift around in her seat. She wasn’t comfortable around him anymore and his gaze didn’t seem to want to leave her anytime soon. Her heartbeat increased and she abruptly stood up She needed to get away from him. “My lunch break is over soon. I need to get back to HQ. I just wanted to tell you.” She quickly turned her back to him and started to walk away from him.

“No, Ellie wait,” Jake called out to her and she heard his footsteps on the gravel coming closer to her again. “You can’t just run away from me now. We’ve barely talked about this.”

“What else is there to talk about?” She whirled around to him while rapidly firing the question towards him. Her mind swirled into dangerous territory and she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to think about the question that kept bubbling up in her mind.

“Don’t you see it? This is our chance to start fresh again.” Looking into Jake’s hopeful face, her stomach twisted. “You, me and the baby. We could start all over,” he continued, and his nervous smile crept into his face again.

“Excuse me?” She exclaimed, putting her free hand on her hip. She felt like throwing up any second now. “What makes you think we’ll get back together again?”

“We’re having a baby together, Ellie. We could be a family,” he explained, stepping closer to her. He laid one of his hands on her arm, but she shrugged it off.

“No, Jake. I don’t know what’s going on in your head right now, but you don’t get to cheat on me and use our baby as an excuse to get back together. We’re done,” she hissed, turning around and almost running out of the park. She felt her tea swoosh around in her cup, but she didn’t care. She needed to get away from him. Hearing his faint yelling of her name, made her walk faster and she didn’t look over her shoulder until she finally made it to headquarters. Out of all the scenarios she had played out in her head, this was something she never imagined happening.

 

\------

 

Telling her family was much easier. Her mother was over the moon to have another grandchild, even though they had a long discussion about Ellie needing to move back to Oklahoma, which she definitely wasn’t going to do. She loved her life in DC and her job at NCIS. It wasn’t something, she wanted to give up just yet. Barbara Bishop kept reminding her that it was going to be a lot to juggle, but after her father and George calmed her down from her worried rant, her mother promised her to come for the birth and to stay with her for the first few weeks.

Her brothers were happy too, but they offered to take care of Jake once again and it was Ellie’s turn to talk them out of it. They meant well, but she wasn’t a little girl anymore and she definitely didn’t need their protection anymore.

Her father was his usual self. He was always the calm one. During her high school years, the two of them often went on camping trips during the weekend. She didn’t have a lot of friends back then and while her mother had always encouraged her to participate in the whole social drama in high school, her father let her be, so she often spend time with him. Just like all those years ago, he hugged her close upon hearing the news, whispering words of congratulations to her, not asking any other questions and it made her love and appreciate him even more.

Christmas with her family gave her a break from life and the stress she had endured over the last few weeks and it made her forget about Jake. Being without him didn’t feel strange anymore and she felt herself forget about him more and more. She figured out her own routine and she learned to appreciate the quietness when she was alone in her room.

Most importantly though, the Christmas break gave her time to adjust to her pregnancy. She only had a small bump, her stomach more bloated than anything else, but she realized she needed a new wardrobe soon. JB, George’s wife, gave her a bag full of her old maternity clothes, stating she was done having anymore Bishops. They had laughed together, and Ellie never felt freer than in this moment. She joked that it was her turn to have a few Bishops now, not even realizing that she was talking about more than one baby.

She started to be more aware of her body and its needs. Thankfully, she never felt sick or needed to actually puke her guts out, but her appetite increased, if that was even possible. She also felt herself get tired sooner and she quickly learned to listen to her body, giving it more rest than usual.

After two weeks with her family, she felt refreshed and ready to go back to DC to get her life in order there too.

 

\------

 

In the first week of January, a week after she had gotten back from Oklahoma, she still hadn’t heard from Jake again. It didn’t hurt her that much, though she felt herself getting angry with him, so she got herself a lawyer and filed for a divorce.

 

\------

 

At the end of January, she had her next appointment and Abby went with her. At almost 20 weeks, she was finally visibly showing. Her belly was round and just a few days ago, she had felt her little one kick for the first time. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, and she was hardly able to contain her joy, yelling loudly through the bullpen, “She kicked!”

Earlier on, she had gotten tired of calling the baby jellybean or it or whatever term Tony came up with. She just had a feeling that the baby was actually a girl and today, she would finally find out.

As she laid on the exam table, looking at her little round belly, she felt herself getting excited with each passing second. She always wanted to be a mom, and even if the circumstances weren’t ideal, she had started to count the days until she could finally meet her baby.

When her doctor started the ultrasound just a few minutes later, and her baby’s heartbeat filled the room, her eyes teared up. Abby had taken her hand, squeezing it and Ellie was never more thankful to have her friend by her side. Especially when the doctor told her that she was having a girl and Abby had screamed with joy.

“You hear that Ellie? We’re going to have a little baby Bishop running around soon!”

She laughed loudly, wiping the few tears from her face. She never cared about the gender, but deep down she was glad it was a girl.

 

\------

 

After texting Jake the news, she had waited for an answer for a couple of weeks, but he never replied. Ellie was getting tired of it and she wasn’t sure what terrified her more: the thought of raising the baby with Jake or without him.

At 25 weeks, she was done waiting. After work, she had grabbed her stuff and driven over to their old apartment, where Jake still lived. To say their conversation had gone bad was putting it mildly.

This time, Jake didn’t beat around the bush and she almost didn’t recognize the man in front of her. The Jake she married was kind and nerdy and nothing like the man she was standing in front of now. He stood quietly in front of her, his hands folded behind his back and no sight of his usual smile. In a neutral, almost emotionless voice he delivered his decision to her, “I think it’s in our best interest, and her best interest, when you raise her alone.”

His words felt like a slap to her face and for a few minutes she wasn’t able to form any words. A million thoughts ran through her head, but after finally digesting the words, she felt her pulse speed up and heat flushed through her body. Within seconds, she exploded, “I’m gonna leave now and if I don’t hear from you in a couple of _days_ , I’ll take that as your decision. But let me be very clear now; if you still don’t want to be in her life by then, it’s going to be this way forever. You will not talk to her, or visit her or even send her a birthday card, do you understand? This decision is going to be final!”

Without waiting for his answer, she turned around, running out of their old apartment and into her old truck. Her vision was clouded with tears in seconds and a heartbreaking sob wreaked through her body.

Later as she was laying on Gibbs couch, her head resting on his upper legs, she tried to remember how she made it back to his house, but she couldn’t remember, even after she calmed down.

Gibbs had stroked through her blonde locks and once she had calmed down a bit, he listened to her explaining what just happened. He hadn’t exactly said much, but she was sure that Gibbs would be going to Jake’s house at some point in the next few days. If anything, Jake would listen to her boss. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to change his mind, because his words had hurt her deep in her heart for a second time in a span of just two months. How could he ever say that he didn’t want to raise his own child? Her baby girl deserved better than this.

She fell asleep at some point, her whirling thoughts finally simmering down. At some point, she felt Gibbs carrying her upstairs and she decided to talk to him about that tomorrow morning. He wasn’t getting any younger and she had gained some weight during her pregnancy this far. He should definitely not be carrying her around, especially not up the stairs.

 

\------

 

Jake didn’t change his mind.

 

\------

 

At just 36 weeks, Ellie went into labor. It was almost the end of May and it had been a week since Tony left with little Talia. Everybody was still incredibly sad about the loss of their friend and Tony’s departure. She too missed his jokes and her visits to the bullpen had quieten down enormously. She was already on maternity leave and just coming to talk to her colleagues and friends, too boring to just stay home all day by herself. Her mother was supposed to fly in this afternoon, coming two weeks earlier than they had originally planned. Ellie was sure she had Gibbs to thank for that. He wasn’t fond of her hanging around the bullpen almost every second day, telling her to rest more and to savor the last few weeks of quietness.

She was sitting on McGee’s chair, talking to him about this year’s line up from Comic Con, when her water broke. She didn’t realize it herself, comfortably sitting in McGee’s chair, her back not hurting for the first time in what seemed like forever, until Tim stopped mid-sentences. His eyes went wide and his face turned ashen.

“E-Ellie,” he stammered, pointing to her lap. “You-you’re wet.”

She looked down to her light blue covered thigs, but her belly obstructed the view, so she stretched her legs wider apart, seeing the inside of both her thigs wet. She was pretty sure she hadn’t peed herself, which only meant one thing. Her water broke.

“It’s too early.” She whispered, her hand going to her belly and rubbing it protectively. “It’s too early, Tim. She can’t come yet.”

Tim wasn’t able to answer her, apparently too shocked, only opening his mouth a few times, while his gaze kept shifting between her face and the wet stain between her legs.

Before she had any more time to panic, Gibbs appeared next to Tim. He always knew when to make an entrance.

“My water just broke, Gibbs,” she stated, her panicked eyes searching for his.

He just chuckled, grabbing her under the arm and pulling her out of the chair. “I can see that, Bishop.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as he started to walk towards the elevator. “Tim, you call her mother and tell her that you’ll pick her up from the airport later. I’ll call you from the hospital.” He looked at the younger agent who still didn’t response. “Tim, get it together,” he yelled. “And don’t sit in that chair again.” He nodded at Tim’s chair, which had a wet stain on it.

“It’s too early, Gibbs. She isn’t supposed to come for another four weeks.” She ignored his instructions to her colleague, swaddling towards the elevator with Gibbs.

“She wants to come now, Bishop, and there’s nothing you can do about that.” He gave her a gentle squeeze and as she glanced up to him, she saw amusement dancing across his face.

It calmed her until her first contraction started while they were on the way to the hospital.

 

\------

 

Nothing had prepared her for the next few hours of her life. It took exactly 12 hours and some swearing for her daughter to be born.

Once she was in the hospital and situate in her room, it was already midday. Her contractions were just becoming regular, but she was only dilated about 4cm. The baby seemed fine, even though she was a few weeks early. None of the nurses or doctors seemed worried, and it calmed her down immensely.

By the time her mother arrived around 4pm in the afternoon, she dilated another centimeter and was walking around the corridors of the hospital with Gibbs and Abby.

“Looks like I came just in time,” Barbara Bishop greeted her, and Ellie felt another weight lifted off her shoulders. Her mother hugged her and kissed her cheek, pulling some of her hair behind her ear. “I had a feeling this one would make an early entrance.”

Ellie laughed softly at her mother, right as another contraction hit her. She groaned, leaning forward onto her mother who held her by the waist.

“Alright, honey. Let’s go back to your room.” The blonde agent was never more thankful for her mother than in that moment. Barbara naturally took over from Gibbs, wrapping her arms around her waist. Knowing that her mom had delivered four children gave her great comfort. Barbara Bishop knew what was about to happen.

Much later, after hours of walking, hopping on a ball and leaning on the bed, Ellie was finally allowed to start pushing. She couldn’t remember much from the 45 minutes when they told her to start pushing and the time, she held her daughter for the first time. After the last push she gave and her daughter’s cries filled the room, everything around her seemed to disappear. The pain was gone, and she only had eyes for the pink baby that laid on her chest.

 

\------

 

The rest of the night was a complete blur to her. One of the nurses took her daughter to get cleaned up and checked out a few minutes later, she was a little early after all. They stayed in the room and she could still hear her daughter’s soft whimpers. Her mom went to look over the nurse’s shoulder and another nurse came to help her get settled back into bed, changing her hospital gown before she was able to lay down again. Just a few minutes later, her mom came back, holding her grandchild as one of the doctors addressed her, “Your daughter seems to be doing well for a preterm. The baby's respirations are good and we measured her at 18 inches, and she weighs 8 pounds and 3 ounces, which is more than sufficient for a preemie. We’ll monitor her closely for the next 24 hours, but I see no reason to take her up to the NICU.”

Her mother handed her the baby and Ellie took her in her arms, holding her close to her chest. Pressing a soft kiss against her beany covered head, she sent the doctor a thankful smile.

“We just need a name for her birth certificate and her wrist band,” one of the nurses told her.

Without looking away from her baby, Ellie answered, “Madison Avery Bishop, short Madi.”

“That’s a beautiful name, honey.” Her mom sat down next to her on the bed, wrapping her arms around her shoulder and pressing a kiss to her head. “I’m proud of you. You did good.”

Later that night, after feeding Madi for the first time, Ellie was brought back into her room. On her way there, they passed the waiting room, full over her friends. She briefly talked to them, showing off the newborn, before the nurse insisted, they needed to get her to her room.

Everyone promised to come back in the morning, and Ellie realized that raising her daughter without Jake wouldn’t be so bad after all. She had a huge support team behind her and even if it was probably going to be hard sometimes, one look at her daughter told her it was all worth it in the end.


	2. 14x01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!   
> Sorry it took so long, life keeps me busy these days, but I'm writing whenever I can. I'm glad you guys seem to like this story/idea.   
> Again, if you have any wishes for any episode just let me know.  
> Just be patient! :)
> 
> Thanks goes to my betareader shortystarrose!

“Guess who’s back?” Ellie called out into the bullpen as she left the elevator and entered the familiar orange walls. She had missed this place. Her last day of work had been ages ago. So much happened since then.

“Bishop, welcome back,” her colleague Tim McGee greeted her, meeting her in front of her desk, stretching his arms out to her.  

“Thanks, Tim.” She stepped into his embrace, hugging him tight for a second, before letting go and adjusting her backpack on her shoulder.

“How’s Madi?” Tim asked, smiling at her.

“Oh, she’s great! She’s getting so big, I feel like she’s growing every single day,” Ellie gushed, fishing for her phone in her jacket. She searched for a few photos she had just taken the day before. “She’s smiling so much more these days and she started to hold her head up all by herself and she’s also starting to roll onto her belly now.” She held her phone in front of Tim’s face, showing him the newest pictures of Madi.

Everybody loved Madi. From the day she was born, barely a day passed weren’t at least one of her friends didn’t come and visit them. For the first six weeks, her mother had stayed with her. It helped a lot as Barbara Bishop had plenty of experience with babies, raising four of her own. She was there in the beginning when Ellie had trouble breastfeeding Madi or when she simply cried for almost an hour straight and Ellie didn’t know what to do anymore.

After her mother left, she had spent the next few weeks alone with her daughter, having settled into a routine. They had some nice one on one bonding time during the day and in the evening, usually either Gibbs or Abby came and visited her.

At just 11 weeks, Ellie had taken Madi for her first big trip to Oklahoma. At first, she was hesitant to travel at all, but she wanted her whole family to meet her daughter and more importantly spend time with her. Only George had come to visit her after giving birth, her father and other two brothers not able to get off work. So, instead of driving like she usually did, she went by plane which was much faster and not as bad as she thought it would be. Madi had slept through take-off and the pit-stop in Atlanta gave her some time to stretch her legs and bounce Madi right back to sleep, before the next take-off. She also hadn’t needed to bring much since her brother still had a stroller and a car seat and everything else stored in his garage.

She spent the next four weeks with her family, enjoying the time with them. Madi loved all of them, especially her father who she often fell asleep on. Having six extra people to help her look after the baby also gave her some time to get back into shape again. She had to pass an evaluation to be cleared for fieldwork again before she was allowed back onto the team, but she had passed that test with flying closer.

After coming back from Oklahoma, she had spent her last week with Madi and Julia Andrews. Through an agency, Ellie had started to look for a babysitter for her daughter, not wanting to send her to daycare at such a young age. Julia was in her mid-fifties and just lost her husband the year before. They weren’t blessed with kids of their own, so Julia had started her job as a nanny, changing to full-time after the loss of her husband. Ellie had liked her from the beginning and after doing a background check on her, she felt reassured to leave her daughter with her. Especially, because Julia didn’t seem to mind her crazy schedule.

“Aww, Ellie, she’s so cute,” Tim pulled her out of her thoughts, and she beamed up to him. “It must be so hard to leave her now.”

The young agent exhaled loudly, shrugging her shoulders. “It is, but I need to work to take care of her, and I know she’s in good hands while I’m gone. That makes it easier.” She locked her phone, slipping it back into the pocket of her jacket. She turned to her desk, coming into view with the desk opposite hers. “So, you haven’t settled into your new desk yet?”

“You know, I’m still trying to adjust to the whole layout. You know everything is reversed. The monitors, the phone, the partition even. It’s bizarre.” He waved his hands in front of him, pointing to the whole desk.

Before she could answer him, their newest Probie walked into the bullpen, ranting about Gibbs and how he had just fired him even though he had a serious medical condition. Ellie had to suppress her laughter because she was also suffering from chronic exhaustion, but for entirely different reasons as this guy. As fast as he appeared, Special Agent Terry Mahler was gone again and Gibbs marched into the bullpen, telling them to grab their gear and welcoming her back in almost the same breath of air.

She beamed again as she turned to follow her fellow teammates to the elevator. “Good to be back, Gibbs.”

 

\------

 

As she stood in front of the hospital room where JAG Marine Major Lucia Campbell was currently laying, Ellie had to swallow hard. Their case was a though first case, especially because it involved a young girl who just lost her father and was probably still scared to not see her mother wake up either.

Having Madi and being a mom now too didn’t make the situation easier. Just imagining her own daughter sitting in that chair, scared and hurt, made her heart clench. Ellie shook her head softly, clearing her mind from the terrible thoughts that ran through them before she knocked softly on the doorframe and entered the room.

“Amanda? I’m Special Agent Eleanor Bishop. My team is investigating your family’s accident.” She walked around the two chairs, standing in front of the hospital bed. The young girl, who was sitting in the chair closer to the hospital bed, looked up to her and Ellie showed the girl her badge. “Would it be OK if I asked you a few questions?”

The teenager nodded, her gaze moving back to her unconscious mother.

Ellie sat down in the other chair, moving to the edge to be closer to the brown-haired girl who was curled up with her legs under her body. Folding her hands in her lap, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for your loss, Amanda.”

The girl sniffled softly, her eyes welling up with fresh tears as she muffled a quiet ‘Thank you’. She quickly wiped a few tears from her cheek, glancing back up to Ellie. “What do you wanna know?”

Ellie was amazed at her composure. Even though she had lost her father, she somehow found it in herself to stay strong enough to answer questions. “Well for starters, do you remember anything about the crash?”

“The last thing that I remember…” she stopped, swallowing hard. “I was – I was listening to music and then there was a fire, and I woke up here.” The young girl looked up to her for a second, before averting her eyes again, pulling her legs closer to herself.

“Amanda, was everything OK at home?” She asked cautiously. It was a necessary question, but at this moment, Ellie hated it. The girl suffered enough already and asking her these kinds of personal question wasn’t going to help her at all.

Amanda didn’t seem to mind her question though, promptly answering, “Ever since she got back from her trip last week, she’s been quiet. And the Major is never quiet.” She looked at her sleeping mother.

“What trip was she on?”

“It was for work. She said she had a lead on some case.” The girl stopped again, a sob leaving her throat, her voice breaking. “Yesterday I had both my parents… I wanna go back.” Her brown teary eyes looked pleadingly up to her, and Ellie’s heart shattered.

“I’m so sorry, Amanda,” she tried to console the girl, laying a hand on her arm and gently rubbing it up and down. “Your mom’s going to wake up. Just wait and see.”

Another sob left the girl’s body and she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her legs and bracing her head in her hands. Her body was wrecking with more sobs and Ellie felt her own eyes water at the utter sadness of Amanda.

She swallowed hard, before extending her arm and laying a hand on the teenager’s back. Letting her hand rub the girl’s back in soothing circles, Ellie sat with her for several more minutes, before Amanda’s sobs quieten down again.

“Is there anyone I can call for you, Amanda?” The thought of the scared girl sitting alone in the hospital room next to her unconscious mother unsettled Ellie.

“My grandparents are already on their way. One of the nurses called them earlier. They took the next flight and they’ll probably be here in the evening.” Amanda sat back up, once again wiping the tears from her face.

Ellie’s phone vibrated in her pocket and she fished it out, seeing Gibbs name on the screen. She silenced it even though she was sure Gibbs would not be amused about that. She would call him back in a few minutes.

“I’m OK. You should take your call,” Amanda sounded up next to her, pointing to her phone.

“It can wait a few minutes. I want you to take my card.” Ellie reached into her pocket again, handing one of her cards to the teenager. “If you can think of anything else, or even if you just want to talk, you can call me anytime.”

“Thank you, Agent Bishop.” Amanda took her card, scanning over it for a second, before lowering it in her lap.

“That’s Ellie for you.” She smiled at the girl, before standing up from her chair.

“I don’t think the Major would let me call you that.” A smile crossed Amanda’s lips and Ellie chuckled softly, before turning more serious again.

“I mean it though, Amanda. If sitting here alone gets too much, call me. I’ll come.”

 “I will.”

Satisfied with her answer, Ellie sent her one last smile before leaving the room.

 

\------

 

Turns out, Amanda Campbell did have family next to her grandparents after all. Her uncle, Special Agent Nicholas Torres, who had worked undercover for the last 8 years. Ellie had a feeling though that the young girl didn’t know that her uncle was still alive. Even though her mother had hired a private investigator and went to Argentina to look for him, something told her that the Major hadn’t told her daughter. The case finally seemed to go somewhere, but the reason for this terrible accident made Ellie’s stomach twist. She had a feeling that Agent Torres sister got hurt because someone in Argentina found out that her brother was a federal agent.

Ellie made it home that day on time for Madi’s bedtime. Putting her daughter to bed made her forget about the case for a while, even though her night was short again. Madi had woken up twice during the night, resulting in Ellie letting her sleep in her bed with her. While she didn’t mind having Madi next to her, she was never able to get a good night’s sleep when Madi was lying next to her. Ellie was always afraid that she would roll out of the bed, especially now that she was able to roll onto her belly. In the morning, when Julia came into the house, Ellie was half asleep on the couch all while breastfeeding Madi. Julia had made her a coffee to take to work, before waking her up and taking Madi from her.

And she needed that coffee badly. It woke her up just in time for Gibbs and her to chase down Agent Torres at a bus station. Agent Torres was a force to be reckoned with. Besides his good looks – and god help her he had an absolutely fantastic body – he was super intense. He was a loose cannon and she actually felt like she understood him. He had been separated from his family for years, always working undercover under a different alias. He had given away his life for the job and now the job was also costing him his family. It was a terrible thought for her, and she had to focus on something else.

The whole day was intense, and she didn’t make it home on time to put Madi to bed that night. Julia didn’t seem to mind that Ellie’s crazy hours started to show on her second day. She had even made her some pasta and Ellie was glad, she had chosen Julia. She helped her immensely, making it possible for her to juggle work and Madi.

The next day, she woke up a little more rested even though she probably had gotten less sleep than the day before, but Madi had slept in her crib and Ellie was able to sleep more deeply.

The team also managed to take Silva and his son into custody, stopping him from causing more damage to Agent Torres and his family. It was already late after they finished interrogating him, but one look at Agent Torres told her that he was more than ready to see his family. For safety reasons, he hadn’t been able to visit them yet.

She had offered to drive him and without much resistance, he went with her. The drive to the hospital was spent in silence and when Ellie parked the car, she felt like she was going to burst any second. She had never been good at keeping her mouth shut.

“I’ll walk you up to her room,” she said after putting the car into park.

“I can find her room by myself.” Nick got out of the car, leaning back down to peer inside. “Thank you for the ride.”

Ellie laughed dryly, before getting out herself. “You will get to them much faster if you let me help you.” She shut the door of the car. “You don’t have your badge and I bet you don’t even have your driver’s license on you. They won’t let you in.”

Nick pursed his lips while shutting the door on his side as well. “You’re stubborn.”

“No, I just want to help you and maybe you should start to let people help you for a change. Makes a lot of things easier,” she snorted as she walked towards the entrance of the hospital. For some reason, he just tickled her the wrong way sometimes.

Nick huffed but followed her.

“You know, I talked to Amanda after the accident and I have a feeling, she’ll be glad to see you.” Ellie tried to keep the conversation going as they walked through the entrance hall and towards the elevators.

For the first time in the last two days, Nick seemed speechless and when she glanced over to him, she saw a mix of concern and fear on his face, but his features were soft and not as hard and stoic. It made him even more handsome and she cursed herself again. Not the right time.

“I don’t think she’ll be mad at you,” Ellie offered him. “She’s strong and has a good grasp of the world around her. She knows not everything is black and white.”

“She thinks I’m dead.” His voice was rough. “And I’ve barely seen her before my last assignment or before that. She barely knows me.” His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head.

“I don’t believe that. I don’t know your sister, but she went looking for you in Argentina. She never believed for a second that you were dead. Even if she told her daughter that you were dead, she did it to protect her and who says that she didn’t keep the memory of you alive?” Ellie asked as they stepped into the elevator.

Nick kept quiet again, looking stubbornly at the closing doors in front of them.

Ellie wasn’t sure if she should continue to push him, but something told her that he needed to hear it. “You know I would tell my daughter about my brother’s or anyone in my family if one of them died. Just because someone isn’t there anymore, doesn’t mean this person isn’t still part of their family.”

Nick glanced over to her. “You have a daughter?” There was a hint of surprise in his voice.

Ellie chuckled. “I do. This is actually my third day back after having her. She’s just four months old.”

The elevator doors opened, and Ellie gestured him to get out. Nick stopped in the doors, letting her out first. He eyed her as she walked past him, her confession had obviously piqued his interest.

“What’s her name?” He asked as they walked down the corridor side by side.

“Madison, but everyone just calls her Madi.” Ellie smiled just as they reached Lucia’s room. “We’re here.” She pointed to the door a few feet in front of them. It was closed, the shutters down. “You ready to go inside?”

The dark-haired man next to her hesitated, pursing his lips for a second, before grabbing the handle of the door, opening it and walking inside. He seemed just as determined as he was the last few days when they were trying to get Silva, and Ellie smiled.

She moved closer to the door, spying into the room just in time to see a crying Amanda flinging herself into Nick’s arms while sobbing ‘Uncle Nick’. He caught her easily, lifting her a few inches of the ground and kissing her head a few times before his gaze shifted to his sister who was still lying in a hospital bed, but awake. Tears were running down Lucia Campbell’s cheeks, but a smile covered her face and she lifted her hand, waving it at her brother. Nick pulled Amanda with him, keeping an arm around her at all times, as he walked closer to his sister. Even when he leaned down to kiss his sister’s cheek, he never let go of his niece, who was clinging to him like a lifeline. Major Campbell was crying, ugly sobs leaving her body and Nick leaned his forehead against hers, his hand running gently through her hair as he whispered something into her ear.

Ellie stepped back, feeling like she was intruding into a personal moment. Seeing Agent Torres reunite with his family lifted a weight off her shoulder. She was glad that Amanda got her uncle back, especially in times where she had already lost so much.

 

\------

 

Much later, when she was lying in bed with a sleeping Madi in her arms, her thoughts went back to Agent Torres. He intrigued her. He seemed reckless and explosive at times but seeing him at the hospital with his sister and niece showed her that he also had a soft side. Ever since her divorce, she hadn’t allowed herself to think about other men. Granted, she was pregnant and had other thoughts running through her mind, but she never actively looked for someone. It never crossed her mind. Seeing Agent Torres jolted something awake inside of her and she had a feeling, it was going to get her into trouble.


	3. 14x02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back!  
> I'm sorry it took me forever to write the next chapter. I've been juggling so many things (my master’s degree, work, voluntary work and the rest of my life) these last few months that I just didn't have any time to write at all. But three weeks ago, the new season of NCIS started in Germany, so I told myself to make more time for writing and here we are! 
> 
> I'm desperately looking for a new beta reader again, so if you know someone let me know! On this note, this is un-beta'd. English isn't my first language, and while I do have a good grasp of the language, there could be some minor mistakes (maybe some Ziva-isms).

“Are you sure I can leave you for some time?” Nicholas Torres asked his sister who was laying on the couch propped up on a bunch of pillows.

“Nick, stop fussing over me. I’m capable of taking care of myself,” his sister Lucia growled, throwing one of the pillows into his direction.

“Lucia, I’m serious. You came out of the hospital today and they told me to make sure you take it easy.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, leveling his sister with a glare.

After deciding that he was going to try to be part of Gibbs’ team, Nick had moved into the guestroom at his sister’s house. Lucia had just lost her husband and wasn’t physically able to take care of herself or Amanda for a while. Her left leg was broken, and her left shoulder had been dislocated and was still in a sling. The hospital had sent her home just this morning with a wheelchair and he was sure if looks could kill, her nurse and her doctor would have been dead. His sister was extremely headstrong and being tied down to a wheelchair wasn’t her way of fun.

Adding to her physical injuries, she was also mourning the loss of her husband. Granted, she did so in her own special way, carrying on with her life almost as if nothing happened. She had started to plan the funeral right after she woke up and at the same time, she was there for her daughter. Nick admired her strength, but he also feared that she would break down at some point, crushed by the weight of all her responsibilities.

“Nick, just take Amanda to her friend’s house. She needs to have something normal in her life right now. It’s hard enough for her,” his sister pleaded as she shifted up on the couch, wincing.

Nick sighed. “I will. Just please stop moving. You’re hurting yourself.” He lifted his hands to his hips. “I’m gonna stop by headquarters on my way back. Bring some of my stuff there. It might take a little longer. Call if you need anything.”

His sister just nodded, grabbing her laptop from the coffee table, clearly annoyed with him. “Just go.”

Nick turned around, walking over to the stairs and calling out, “Amanda, let’s go.” He waited a few seconds, but nothing happened, and he sighed again. “Amanda, move it. We won’t get there on time, if you don’t come now.” Rustling was heard from above and a second later, Amanda came running down the stairs.

She had a bag slung over her shoulder and her phone in her hands. She looked annoyed. “I couldn’t find my phone.”

“Well now you have it, so let’s move.” He started walking towards the door, grabbing the box of stuff from the kitchen counter on his way out.

“Bye, Mom.” He heard Amanda say and he turned around, seeing Amanda kissing her mother’s cheek.

Even though Amanda was just as headstrong and stubborn as her mother, losing her father had made her clingy. She took her time now, kissing her mother goodbye before leaving. It had started at the hospital and the first time it happened, he saw the surprise written over Lucia’s face. It was clearly something new for her, but she had recovered quickly after a second of hesitation, hugging her daughter close.

In moments like this, Nick was able to spot his sister’s grief, in the way she hugged her daughter closer, tightening her hold on her before letting go.

Just like now when Amanda tried to pull away and Lucia kept her close for a second longer. Amanda didn’t seem to mind, sending her mother another smile before walking back towards him.

“Let’s go, we’re gonna be late,” Amanda’s voice brought him back to the present and he shook his head at her slightly annoyed tone again.

“You teenager’s and your moods,” he whispered, opening the door with one hand and letting Amanda pass through first.

 

\------

 

Ten minutes later, they stopped in front of Amanda’s friend’s house and Nick put the car into park, looking over to his niece. She had been quiet the whole way over, only tapping rapidly on her phone, the sound of the keystrokes louder than the radio playing in the car.

She was sitting next to him in the passenger seat, her hand already on the door handle, but she hesitated.

“You don’t have to go inside, cariño,” Nick told her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “I can turn around and bring you back home, or we could go and get something to eat. Just the two of us. Your mom doesn’t have to find out, if you don’t want to.”

Amanda huffed. “This is not about Mom. She’s not forcing me to see my friends.”

“Well, then what is it about?” He pulled his hand back from her shoulder, turning his body into her direction. He was no expert in teenagers, let alone kids, but something told him that this was his chance to find out how she really felt.

“I haven’t seen my friends since Dad …,” she stopped, swallowing hard. Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “I haven’t seen them since the accident.

Nick nodded. “Are they good friends of yours?”

“What kind of question is that?” Amanda scoffed, folding her arms in front of her chest. “I’m not some dumb kid who has millions of friends, she doesn’t actually know.”

“Calm down, kiddo.” Nick raised his hands in front of himself. “I know nothing about kids your age. I just wanted to get my facts right before giving you advice.”

His niece puffed out a breath of air, her gaze flicking upwards towards her eyebrows. Her fingers started tapping impatiently on her upper arm. “I’m waiting.”

Nick chuckled. “Seems like my questions aren’t stupid after all.”

Amanda sighed loudly, turning away from him as she opened the passenger door.

“No, hold on, Amanda,” he stopped her, grabbing her arm. “I don’t know much about you or your friends, but I know your mom, and she’s pretty headstrong and she doesn’t take shit.” A soft laugh escaped his niece, and he smiled too. “If they’re good friends of yours, which I think they are, you’ll have nothing to worry about. They know you and they’ll know what you need.”

The young girl nodded, briefly leaning back in her seat. She caught his eyes, giving him a soft smile. “Thank you, Uncle Nick.”

He squeezed her arm in return. “Oh, and I didn’t say shit in front of you, if your mom asks.”

“I’m fourteen, Uncle Nick. I’m allowed to use those words, just not at home.” Amanda leveled him with an amused look, before she pushed the car door open and hopped out. “Thank you for driving me.”

“Don’t sweat it, kiddo. I’ll pick you up later. Just text me.” He waved at her as she closed the door and made her way over to the house.

Phew, teenagers were harder to handle than he thought. As soon as Lucia was feeling better, he needed to find his own place.

 

\------

 

The rest of the team had left the bullpen just moments ago, but Nick remained sitting on his desk, looking around the orange walls, taking everything in. His first case was interesting. He started a few days early, which he didn’t mind at all. It gave him something to do, giving him less time to think about his new life. Everything was different and he kept repeating Gibbs question over and over again in his head.

_Which version is the real you?_

After eight years undercover, he had created so many different versions of himself that it became hard to separate them all. Sure, they always had a few things in common, but most of the time he had to shape a whole new person to fit right in. He never allowed himself to think much about the life he wanted or the life he had before. Thoughts like that were dangerous and could have costed him his life. Years later, it was hard to remember who he was before going undercover. He definitely wasn’t the same person anymore. The last few years had changed him. They lived in a cruel world and he had seen a lot of things, he wished he never had to see again. They shaped him into the person he was now.

Who was he know though?

For Amanda he was Uncle Nick. Someone she could barely remember from before his undercover years. Lucia had told her a lot of stories from their childhood together, some of them he could barely remember himself. She painted a picture of him in Amanda’s head that he wasn’t sure he could do justice. Maybe he didn’t want to do it justice. Until now, he did a fairly good job. Amanda sought him out whenever she needed someone other than her mom, which only happened a handful of times since he moved in with them, but it helped him feel useful.

His sister was a whole different story. She knew him the longest and she struggled more with his different personality. Years ago, they were able to talk each other’s ears off, but now they often just sat next to each other, silence filling the room. He could feel her gaze on him as she just stared at him from time to time. She was probably asking herself the same questions as him. Who was her little brother? What happened to him in all those years away? She was so close to just asking him. He could see the question on the tip of her tongue, but she never did ask. He wasn’t sure if he would tell her or if he’d know what to tell her.

The dinging of the elevator pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked across the room, but he couldn’t see anyone entering or exiting. He sighed, grabbing his jacket and his bag. As he was about to leave, he halted again as he saw his NCIS cap hanging off the site of his monitor. It reminded him of the jacket which was hanging in his locker downstairs in the garage. Both garments had NCIS written in big white letters on it, making everyone who wore it stick out of a crowd full of people. Sticking out was something he avoided and refused to do over the last few years. It was just one of the things that could have cost him his life.

He shook his head, turning around. His gaze roamed over the other desks standing in their small workspace. He was part of a team now and he was anything but a team player. It was probably one of the biggest adjustments. He was used to do things his way and it almost always worked. People sometimes tried to tell him what to do, but he learnt to ignore them, but now there were rules and people were ordering him around. Being part of a team was harder than he thought.

His gaze stopped on Agent Bishop’s desk. The young woman had piqued his interest. Apart from the fact that she was extremely attractive, she also seemed like someone who was down to earth. Then again, he barely knew her. He was surprised to learn she had a daughter, a young one for that matter, especially because she wasn’t wearing a wedding band. Nick knew that not everyone today was actually married just because they had a child, but Agent Bishop did seem like someone who would.

He had mostly worked with her the last few days and she welcomed him easily but thinking about her and her daughter made him realize that having a partner was coming with responsibilities. If something happened to her, her daughter would grow up without a mother.

He shook his head again. He needed a drink. All these thoughts were making him dizzy, and he wasn’t ready to think about all these things just now. He would take it one day at a time, everything else seemed to much.

With more purpose, he started walking again, making his way over to the elevator.

 

\------

 

Hanging her keys onto the key rack, Ellie closed her front door behind her. As she hung up her coat, she let her gaze swipe across the kitchen and living room area, finding Julia on the couch. Quietly, she walked over to her, stepping around the couch.

Madi was halfway sitting on Julia’s lap, leaning against the older woman. They were quietly reading a cardboard book together, and Julia was making animal noises to go with the pictures.

“Hey, you two,” Ellie greeted them, sitting down next to Julia. “Look at you sitting so nicely, sweets.” She reached out to Madi, stroking over her hand. Her daughter grabbed onto her finger, pulling Ellie’s hand towards her mouth.

“Hello, Ellie,” Julia replied, closing the book and laying it down next to her on the couch. “Did you have a good day?” She lifted Madi up, handing her over to her mother.

“Yes, I did. Thank you. We solved our case.” She grabbed Madi, holding her in front of her as she pressed a kiss against her chubby cheek. “Did you two have a good day too? Did she sleep OK?”

“She did, she’ll be hungry soon, but other than that she was a happy baby.” Julia got up, putting the book away into the small basket of toys. “I made pasta with spinach and alfredo sauce today. It’s in the fridge.”

“Aw, Julia. You know the way into my heart. I was lucky to find you,” Ellie marveled, sitting back on the couch to get more comfortable. She laid Madi across her lap, opening her blouse. “Thank you for making dinner, Julia. Have a nice evening.”

“No problem, see you tomorrow.” Julia grabbed her coat and her purse from the kitchen counter, before making her way out of the house.

“And now to you, little missy. Do you wanna have your dinner before mommy eats?” Madi started to whine and Ellie laughed softly, lifting her up against her chest. “You’re so impatient, sweetness. Mommy had a long day and is not as fast anymore.” She cradled Madi’s head against her breast, and the baby latched on without hesitation, suckling happily. “That’s better, huh? You’ve been so hungry lately, are you growing Madi?”

Madi just looked up to her with her baby blue eyes, watching her mother intently as she drank. Leaning down, Ellie pressed a kiss to the baby’s head, staying close a moment longer and inhaling her sweet smell. Madi’s soft, blonde hair tickled her nose and the young mother ran her fingers through the soft strands.

Ellie enjoyed these quiet moments with her daughter. She was thankful that she didn’t give up breastfeeding after going back to work. Sometimes it was inconvenient when they worked longer, because she had to disappear for a few minutes to pump milk more than just once, but in moments like these, she felt grateful.

Madi stopped sucking, and Ellie looked down to her, lifting her to switch sites. “There you go, sweets.” Just when Madi started to drink again, her phone lit up next to them. Ellie looked at the screen, quickly reading the message.

_I’m looking forward to Friday evening. Do you want me to pick you up? – Q_

She sighed. This Friday she was supposed to meet Qasim for their first date. He started to text her a few weeks after she had Madi and they continued texting ever since. Ellie was honestly torn about the whole situation. It felt good knowing that there were still men out there who liked her and would want her. It made her feel attractive, a feeling she didn’t feel often after having Madi. Thanks to her training for her clearance test, she had lost all the weight she had gained while being pregnant with Madi. Even her belly had gone back again, even though it was slightly cushier now and her skin was not quite as toned as before.

Qasim was easy to talk to. Well, in their case they only texted, but he made her smile. She sometimes saw him around the building, but she always managed to hide before he could spot her. He was a nice guy and she could picture herself really liking him. He was attractive, around her age, kind and she hadn’t met anyone who talked bad about him. More importantly, he already knew about Madi.

Madi, however, was also the reason why all this seemed like a bad idea. Having a boyfriend as a single mom entailed so much more than she could have ever imagined. She would always need a babysitter, well in her case Julia, to watch Madi. In case, their relationship ever turned serious, she would need to introduce Madi to him, but she didn’t even know if he liked kids. Then Madi had to like him and if it really worked out between them in the end, there would be a lot more questions involving Madi.

Madi stopped drinking again, and Ellie looked down at her. “All finished, sweets?” She laid her down onto her lap while she fixed her blouse. After buttoning up again, she lifted Madi against her shoulder, grabbing a burp cloth from the back of the couch, laying it over her shoulder. “Life’s complicated, Madi. You should stay this small, it’s a lot simpler.” She carefully patted the baby’s back as she stood up. “Mommy doesn’t know what to do.”

Madi gurgled happily.

“I love you too, sweetness.” She pressed a kiss against the side of her daughter’s head just as Madi burped and spit up some milk. “Thanks, babe. Guess that’s your answer then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave some love (or not!)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
